Playing The Game
by twin who likes to travel
Summary: This is a response to one of shyechick/account deserted's challenges. It's slightly AU. Jessie and Grace are stepsisters, but Jessie isn't shy, anorexic, or in therapy.
1. The Next Victim?

Playing The Game

Chapter 1. The Next Victim?

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: This is a response to one of Shyechick's challenges. It's slightly AU. Jessie and Grace are still stepsisters, but Jessie isn't shy, anorexic, or in therapy in this story. Jessie's high intelligence and athletic ability have given her a huge amount of self confidence. She is also out and bi-sexual for now.

Disclaimer: I only own the character, Nicole.

Reviews: Yes, I would like them.

Author's notes: As always, words in italics are personal thoughts while all capital letters required special emphasis

* * *

Upton Sinclair

It was a Monday in the halls of Upton Sinclair. As most of the students prepared to begin another week of dread, a beautiful blonde entered without a care in the world. Jessie Sammler strolled confidently to her locker aware of the many looks she was getting, but she didn't care. She may only be a sophomore; however, her positive attitude drew others to her. She used this to her advantage. By learning from Eli's previous relationships, she had become a player in the social scene. This helped her gain an almost equal amount of enemies as she had admirers. She had played with the hearts of both boys and girls. Each one of them thought they could tame the wild blonde. As soon as they got too close or she lost interest, she dumped them.

"So, Jessie, who's your next victim going to be?"

"What are you talking about, Grace?" she asked as her stepsister followed her down the hall.

"I'm talking about whose heart you are going to break next. You won't let anyone get close to you. Can't you see what you're doing to them?"

"Grace, it's not my fault if they can't handle it. I've been around long enough for them to know what to expect from me."

"So then you feel nothing when you walk past them?" Grace asked as they passed by Jessie's latest victim, which just happened to be a short, brunette cheerleader.

"Only pity, Grace." _Great, here she comes again._

"Hi, Nicole," Grace said politely to her as the girl stopped in front of Jessie. Grace could see the girl was hurting emotionally, no matter how hard she tried hiding it.

"Hi, Grace. Hi, J-Jessie," she said with a nervous smile.

"What do you want, Nicole?" Jessie asked as she looked around at the growing crowd while occasionally winking at the boy and/or girl she would get the biggest reactions from.

"I was hoping we could talk about what happened at Tad's party."

"What's there to talk about? We broke up. I had fun, but it's over," Jessie replied as she spotted Katie Singer looking at them curiously.

When Katie realized she was caught staring at Jessie, she blushed and looked away. When she looked back, she was met with a wink and a sultry look from Jessie. This made her blush even more.

"JESSIE, are you even paying attention to ME?"

"Of course, I am."

"Then why are you looking at her?" Nicole cried out as she pointed to Katie Singer, which got everyone to look at Katie.

"I can't help it if people are so interested in me."

"I thought you said you really liked me."

"I do like you."

"What's wrong then? Am I not beautiful enough for you?"

"You're beautiful. You have a cute face, a great body, and really know how to shake those pom poms, but we have nothing in common. Sorry, but I need to get to class now."

Jessie gave her a soft kiss on the cheek and a pat on the butt before she walked away. She smirked at the reactions the rest of the crowd gave her from that display. Then she noticed Katie still staring at her. As she entered the classroom, she looked over at Katie and blew her a kiss. This caused Katie to blush and irritated Sarah Grasser. Jessie just laughed in Sarah's direction. After she disappeared, Nicole, who had watched her walk away, broke down into tears. She was comforted by a teammate as the warning bell started to ring.

Katie: _Great, just what I wanted; to get caught staring at Jessie. She's so beautiful and smart. Would I have a chance with her? Could I tame that wild blonde? Well, she was flirting with me. Forget it, Katie. She's just a player._

Sarah: _Oh no! Jessie may be beautiful, but she's not going to steal Katie away from me._

Jessie: _Maybe Grace is right, but I can't help it if none of them can keep me interested long enough. I did like irritating Sarah though. If she wasn't so nasty, I wouldn't have done it. What Katie sees in her, I'll never know. Maybe if I ask her out, I can find out what it is._

Lunchtime

Once again, Jessie could feel all eyes on her as she made her way through the lunch line and to her table. The table was already occupied by her stepsister, Russell, and Tad, who had managed to keep his hormones under control after watching the confrontation between Jessie and Nicole.

"So anything interesting happen since you broke Nicole's heart this morning, Jessie?"

"Shut up, Tad. She'll get over it. Just like the others have done," Jessie answered while rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, Tad, leave her alone. Just because you can't get anywhere with her doesn't mean she needs to hear any of your comments."

"Thanks, Grace," Jessie said as she smiled gratefully at her stepsister. Then she looked across the cafeteria and noticed Katie smiling at her while Sarah looked back angrily.

Grace also noticed this and had to get a few words in. "Ooh, it looks like Sarah's about ready to get in a catfight mode."

"REALLY!" Russell and Tad exclaimed with joy.

"Yes, really."

Grace smiled as she watched Jessie stand and prepare to speak to either Sarah or Katie.

"HEY, KATIE. Would you like to join us over here? I'LL make it WORTH the trip."

The whole room went silent and became interested in what could possibly happen next. A minute later they got their answer when Katie answered the question.

"U-Uh, sure. I'll be there in a minute. I'll catch you later, Sarah."

Katie quickly picked up her tray and walked over to Jessie's table. Everyone stared in shock as Sarah angrily watched Katie head over to Jessie's table. Jessie motioned for Tad to move over, patted Katie on her shoulder, and sat down. Jessie looked over at Sarah, whispered softly into Katie's ear, and then smiled as everyone heard Katie start to laugh. This angered Sarah even more, and she stormed out of the room. The rest of them began to whisper among each other before looking back at Jessie and Katie. Their shock continued as they watched Jessie make Katie shiver in her seat when she whispered again and tickled Katie's ear with the tip of her tongue. She glared at all of them until they all looked away.

"What do you see in Sarah when there are so many other better looking girls in school?" Jessie questioned her as she gently massaged Katie's bare thigh with her right hand.

"W-What do you mean?"

Katie let out a gulp.

"Aren't you dating Sarah?"

"No, what gave you that idea?"

"Well, you two are always together. She also seems to have mastered the whole jealousy issue many couples have to deal with everyday."

"W-We're just friends. That's it."

"Well, you could always have another friend, couldn't you?"

"Yes, I could."

Katie began to relax as Jessie removed her hand from Katie's thigh.

"Would you mind if your new friend walked you to your next class?"

"I guess that would be alright."

"Great, let's go then."

Jessie grabbed Katie's hand as they left the table and exited the room quickly. They both felt the electricity between them, but Jessie was the only who seemed confused by it.

Jessie: _That's weird. What was that all about? I never felt that happen with anyone before. I must be just imagining it._

Katie: _Oh no, don't start thinking that way, Katie. She only did what she did back there to get on Sarah's nerves. She looked like she felt it though. Forget it, Katie. The most you will get out of her is friendship or a broken heart._

Sarah: _I don't care what happened back there. Jessie won't get Katie._


	2. Choices And Consequences

Playing The Game

Chapter 2. Choices And Consequences

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: The relationship between Jessie and Katie begins to grow.

Disclaimer: I only own the character, Nicole.

Reviews: Yes, I would like them.

Upton Sinclair, Friday, after school

* * *

For the rest of the week, Jessie and Katie began to hang out more and more. They would walk each other to their classes, eat lunch together, and hang out after school. Everyday, this would upset Sarah even more. It would also amuse the rest of the students that didn't like her. Katie would always wonder what Jessie would do each time they saw her. Jessie would usually respond by doing the same things. She would gently massage Katie's back while they were at Katie's locker, hold her hand as they walked down the halls, and hug her while looking at Sarah. When there were enough people around, she would softly kiss Katie on her cheek. They had just arrived at Katie's locker when they were approached by Sarah.

"Katie, can we talk in private?"

"I guess so," Katie remarked with a little hesitation as they moved down the hall a bit before continuing the conversation.

"What do you want, Sarah?"

"I just wanted to know if Jessie's become so important that you can't find the time to hang out with me anymore?"

"I'm sorry, Sarah. Maybe we could hang out sometime this weekend. How about Sunday?"

"Sunday? What about tonight or tomorrow instead?"

"I already have plans with Jessie. We're going to hang out at her place tonight, and tomorrow we're going to Tad's party together."

"So, break them and go to the party with me then."

"I just can't go breaking them on such short notice."

"It's not that short of a notice. She has become more important than me, HASN'T SHE?"

"Calm down, Sarah. You're making a scene."

Katie looked nervously around them and saw that everyone had begun to stare at them.

"I DON'T CARE!"

She was then interrupted by Jessie's appearance at Katie's side.

"What's the problem? Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Yes, you can. I'm sick of getting the cold shoulder from Katie ever since you came along. If it wasn't for you, she would be hanging out with me instead."

"I can't help it if she likes me more than she likes you."

"She doesn't matter to you as much as she matters to me. You're just going to get her to fall for you, and then you'll break her heart." She then directed her attention back to Katie. "Katie, you can't have both of us. You need to choose right now. Who's it going to be, me or her?"

Katie thought about for a few seconds before turning to Jessie and speaking loud enough to be heard by everyone, "I CHOOSE YOU."

"What?"

"I choose you over her."

Jessie simply leaned into Katie and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. Sarah began to slowly back up while still keeping her eyes on Jessie and Katie.

"Jessie, why must you torture Sarah like that?"

"Because she's mean to everyone, except you. If she wasn't that way, I wouldn't do it. She also makes this more tempting," Jessie stated as she leaned into Katie again.

"Makes what more tempting?" Katie asked before being surprised with a passionate kiss on her lips.

The guys began to chant, "Yeah, baby."

A few girls chanted, "Jessie."

Then everyone watched silently as Sarah quickly ran to the girls' restroom with Nicole chasing after her. After the door closed, they looked to see Jessie and Katie starting to head outside.

"Ok, show's over, people. Katie, can you give me a ride home again?"

"S-Sure," Katie answered while still reeling from the kiss. _Whoa. Why did she have to do that? Can't she see what that does to me? I think I'm falling for her. No, stop, don't think that. She only did it to bother Sarah. You will not fall for Jessie Sammler._

"Are you alright, Katie?" Jessie asked absent-mindedly.

"Y-Yeah," Katie mumbled.

"Ok, let's go then." _I hope Katie understands that I only did that to bother Sarah. Her lips did feel nice on mine though. Stop it, Jessie. Katie will only be a friend. You will NOT break her heart._

Jessie let out a sigh that went unheard by Katie as they made their way to Katie's car.

Meanwhile, back in the girls' restroom

"Sarah, are you going to be ok?"

"LEAVE ME ALONE, NICOLE!" Sarah shouted as tears continued to fall down her cheeks.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. There's no need to cry. Besides, I have a plan to get back at both of them."

Nicole then smirked at her.

"Really?"

Sarah began to smile.

"Yes, really."

"What is it?"

As Nicole went over the plan, Sarah's smile got wider.

"Do you think it will work?"

"Of course, everyone knows Jessie's a player. So it shouldn't be hard to get Katie to believe it. Do you feel better now?"

"Almost," Sarah admitted before making her way to the door.

"Well, maybe this will make you feel better."

Then Nicole pushed Sarah to the wall and passionately kissed her.

"W-What are you doing?"

Sarah pushed her away in shock.

"Trying to make you feel better. Is it working?"

Sarah nodded yes and was caught up in an even more passionate kiss, which made her open her mouth. Sarah moaned into Nicole's mouth as her tongue was caressed by Nicole's tongue. Nicole ended the kiss and began to smirk at her. She grabbed Sarah's hand, led her out of the bathroom, and through the open front doors.

"Where are we going now?" she questioned her with a goofy grin.

"Back to my house."

"Why?"

"So I can show you what attracted Jessie to me and more."

Sarah could only blush after hearing that.

Sammler/Manning home, Jessie's room/the attic.

"Since I'm your guest, it's time that you entertain me."

"Yeah, I guess so," Jessie giggled before she started to sing "God Bless The Child".

Katie smiled and interrupted her, "I love Billie Holiday."

"I know."

Jessie silenced her by gently closing Katie's mouth with the tips of her fingers. The girls had been listening to music for about two hours when they were interrupted by Lily's voice.

"Jessie, it's time for dinner."

"Thanks. Can Katie join us for dinner and possibly spend the night?"

"I think so. What do you think, Rick?"

"Sure, sweetie. If it's ok with her parents."

Katie got out her cell phone, immediately dialed the number, and waited impatiently for someone to answer the call.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Mom. Is it ok if I have dinner at Jessie's and then spend the night?"

"Yes, just make sure you behave while you're over there," Katie's mother replied with a chuckle.

"Mom," Katie said with obvious annoyance at her mom's sense of humor.

"Goodnight."

"Thanks and goodnight."

Katie then turned around to see all of them smiling at her. She just rolled her eyes at them, which made them all laugh before they began to eat.

Jessie's bedroom, twentu minutes later

"What are the plans now, Jessie?"

"I thought we could watch some movies before we went to bed. You know how they say that everyone has a twin somewhere?"

"Yeah, what's your point?"

"Well, I picked out a few that had a girl that looked like you in them. I think the girl's name is Mischa Barton."

"Which ones?"

"The Sixth Sense and Lost And Delirious. Have you seen them both already?"

"Yeah, how about you?"

"I saw the first one, but not the second. I guess we could watch that one last."

"OK, let's start up the first one."

As soon as they hit play, Jessie's phone rang.

"You get the phone, and I'll get us some snacks for later."

"Alright."

Katie was walking down the steps when she heard who had had made the call. Jessie didn't see Katie watching her. She became uneasy at hearing Jessie talking to the other girl.

"Hi, Jessie."

"What do you want this time, Nicole?"

"I just wanted to talk to you about something."

"There's nothing else to say, Nicole."

"Come on, this won't take long."

"Fine."


	3. DANGER! The Relationship Will Destruct

Playing The Game

Chapter 3. DANGER! The Relationship Will Destruct In 24 Hours

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Jessie and Katie realize that their feelings toward each other have become even more serious while their downfall is being carefully planned.

Disclaimer: The only character I own is Nicole. Another name is mentioned, but is only made up for use in Nicole's plan.

Reviews: Yes, I would like them.

Jessie's room

The rest of the phone call (unheard by Katie)

"So what do you want to talk about, Nicole?" Jessie asked with obvious aggravation.

"Hey, no need to act like that. I just want to talk about what's going on between you and Katie," Nicole said with Sarah listening to the whole discussion.

"What about me and Katie?"

"Are you two dating?"

"No, we're just friends."

"Just friends? You must be losing your touch. By this time, you should have at least gotten to second base and had her falling for you. If you are as good of a player as your brother is, then by next weekend you will have gotten her into bed and dumped her the next day."

"It's none of your business on what happens between me and Katie."

"I know. I just find it weird that a known player hasn't gone all the way with any of her victims."

"You are NOT a victim. You knew what to expect from me before we even got involved. As for the other thing, I'm not ready yet."

"Are you ever going to be ready?"

"Like I said before, it's none of your business. I've got to go now. Katie's coming back upstairs."

"Oh, she's there now? Let me know how she compares to me when you make your move."

Nicole is smiling while Sarah tries to contain the laughter that is trying to come out.

"Shut up and goodbye."

"What did Nicole want?"

"How did you know I was talking to Nicole?"

"Because you started talking before I closed the door."

"Oh, it wasn't anything important."

Jessie tried to act like that was the case but wasn't pulling it off too well.

"Ok." _Yeah right._

"Well, it looks like you brought enough to last us through both movies."

Jessie smiles as she looks at the big bowl full of popcorn and large sodas Katie has in her hands.

"Hopefully."

Katie then returns the smile.

Around three hours later

The girls had finished the first movie and were beginning to watch the love scene in the second when they both noticed each other was starting to become uncomfortable.

"Are you alright, Katie?"

"Yes, how about you?"

"I'm fine."

When the scene was over, Katie quickly got up and headed for the stairs.

"Where are you going?"

"Uh, I-I have to use the bathroom."

"So do I."

Both of them quickly made their ways downstairs as Katie made her way to the first bathroom while Jessie rushed to the next one.

Five minutes later

Katie saw that Jessie was waiting for her as she made her way back upstairs.

"How long have you been waiting for me?"

"I just got back. Ready to watch the rest of the movie?"

"Yeah, I guess we just had too much soda and popcorn."

Jessie nodded in agreement, but both knew that wasn't true. As the closing credits began to run, Katie saw Jessie yawning and felt one coming on as well.

"I guess these yawns mean we should get some sleep."

"You're right," Jessie commented as she rose off the bed while Katie did the same thing.

"Should I change in here or in the bathroom?" Katie mumbled.

"Here is fine. Is that ok with you?"

"Of course," Katie answered a little too eagerly before blushing, which Jessie responded to with a smile.

Katie was a little surprised to see how casually Jessie removed her shirt and jeans before walking over to her dresser, considering that her underwear was slightly revealing.

"Would you prefer pajamas, or a shirt and shorts?" Jessie questioned as she got a night shirt for herself while unaware that Katie was staring at her.

"A shirt and shorts will be fine." _What a great body she has._

Katie then noticed a punching bag in a corner that she never noticed before.

"What are you looking at?" Jessie wondered as she tossed Katie a tank top and shorts and put on the night shirt that stopped just above her knees.

"When did you get that punching bag?"

Katie pointed to the corner.

"About two weeks ago, my dad thought it was a good idea. That way I could practice at home a little better."

"Practice what?"

"Tae kwon do. I thought you knew I was a black belt?" Jessie asked with a laugh.

"Is there anything else I should now about you?"

"Nothing that I can think of at the moment. I would show you some of my moves, but I don't want to disturb anyone else right now."

"I guess I will have to wait until tomorrow then," Katie replied as she removed her clothes and changed into the t-shirt and shorts that seemed a little short to her.

They both got into bed, and within five minutes Jessie was asleep with a huge smile on her face. Katie was awed by the beautiful girl so much that she gently ran her fingers through Jessie's silky, blonde hair. Then she rested her head against Jessie's right shoulder. Two hours later, she was interrupted by an apparent dream Jessie was having about her.

"MMM, Katie, that feels so good. What? Yes, I love you too, Katie."

Katie got up, lay down on her side, and waited to see if Jessie would say anything else. Jessie suddenly sat up, so Katie faked waking up at that moment.

"What's the matter, Jessie?"

"Oh, sorry, Katie. I just had a nightmare. Let's go back to sleep."

"Sure, sleep well."

Katie felt her heart break. _I love her, and she considers that a nightmare? What? You love her? Didn't I warn you not to do that? Just shut up!_

The next morning, Jessie woke up, caught in a spoon. The covers had been kicked to the end of the bed. Katie had her left arm wrapped loosely around Jessie's waist while her right hand was resting peacefully on Jessie's upper thigh. The bottom of Jessie's shirt had been pushed up about three inches, which left most of the upper thigh exposed. Her lips were slightly open and resting on the back of Jessie's neck.

"I take it you slept well?"

Jessie laughed as Katie woke up.

"Uh, yeah. Sorry," Katie babbled as she removed her hand from Jessie's leg. "I got a little warm, so I pushed back the covers."

Katie hoped that Jessie didn't notice her staring at her bare legs.

"It's ok. It didn't bother me." _If she only knew how much it didn't bother me. Stop it, she's only supposed to be a friend. Be quiet. I'm going to ask her to be my date to the party._

"Jessie?"

"Yes, Katie?"

"I know we never talked about it before, but where are we in this relationship?"

"Huh?"

"I mean are we just friends or an unofficial couple? Because if it's the first, I would like to change that today."

"Well, I guess we're currently friends. However, I was going to ask you if you wanted to be my date to Tad's party tonight?"

"Oh."

"Oh?"

"I didn't mean for it to come out that way. I just pictured our first date to be the traditional dinner and a movie. The party's fine though."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Ok."

The girls spent the entire morning and early afternoon together before Katie had to leave.

"I'll pick you up at 8:00. We can hang out for a little bit before we go to the party."

"Cool."

They left each other with smiles on their faces and wondering what to wear to the party.

Meanwhile, over at Nicole's house

Nicole and Sarah were putting the finishing touch on the plan they hoped would ruin Jessie and Katie's relationship. Jessie had no idea that her talk with Nicole had been taped and was slightly altered after that.

"Nicole, is the tape ready?"

"Yes, it is, Sarah," Nicole answered with an evil smile.

"Thank goodness for modern technology," Sarah returned with a smirk as she looked at the electronic device that was used to copy Jessie's voice.

When the edited version was made, Sarah had played the role of Jessie.

"I agree, but let's listen to make sure."

On the edited tape:

"Hi, Jessie."

"What do you want this time, Nicole?"

"I just wanted to talk to you about something."

"There's nothing else to say, Nicole."

"Come on, this won't take long."

"Fine."

"It's about you and Katie."

"What about me and Katie?"

"How far have you gotten with her by now?"

"I haven't gotten anywhere. I'm still playing the friend card."

"Why are you taking so long this time? By this time when you were with me, I had already fallen for you and was ready. You rejected me that night and then dumped me the next day."

"Because after the first time we hung out, I could tell it was going to take longer with her. I can tell she's falling for me. Before, during, and after the party tomorrow night, I will see how much she's up for. By the end of this upcoming week, I will have had her in as many ways as I want. Then the following Monday, I will dump her during lunch and let everyone know how far we went."

"Damn, that's cold."

"Yeah, and I'm so good at this that she won't see it coming until I'm done with her."

"That seems like a good plan, but how are you going to prove it? People are going to want substantial proof."

"That's why I'll use my digital camera after we're finished and she's asleep."

"I don't know why I should care, but you should really think about this before you go through with it. I don't think it will work. Besides, aren't you seeing another girl? I think her name's Lisa, and she lives in Chicago."

"How did you find that out? I thought no one knew that, especially my family."

"I have a cousin that works with her at the Navy Pier."

"Lisa doesn't mind. She caught her boyfriend cheating and decided to try to a lesbian affair as revenge. She also said she's willing to wait for the sex part until I'm ready, which will be after I destroy Katie's image and pride. I've made up my mind and willing to bet you twenty dollars that everything goes my way. The last we'll see of her that day is when she runs out of the school while bawling her head off. Oops, I hear her coming. I've got to go. See you at the party tomorrow night."

"Goodnight, Jessie."

"Goodnight, Nicole."

End of the tape

"It's perfect, Nicole."

"I know. Now it's time we make a toast," Nicole announced as she handed Sarah a bottle of beer. "To the destruction of Jessie and Katie's relationship."

The girls shared a smirk as they heard the bottles clink together.


	4. Mixed Feelings

Playing The Game

Chapter 4. Mixed Feelings

Author: j_rock873

Rating: R

Summary: A mix of feelings is displayed between Jessie, Katie, Nicole, and Sarah at Tad's party.

Disclaimer: I only own the character, Nicole. However, the made up name mentioned in the previous chapter is brought up again.

Reviews: Yes, I would like them.

* * *

Katie's porch, Saturday night, 8:00 PM

Katie had been pacing for about five minutes and occasionally checking to see if she looked alright. She had debated for around twenty minutes while getting ready and decided on her favorite, tight jeans and a new, red shirt. When Jessie arrived, she began to smile nervously. Jessie got out of the car with a smile on her face. She had also been suffering the same problem that Katie had. She had chosen a black, v-neck blouse and a short, blue skirt.

"Are you ready to go, Katie?" Jessie asked with a feeling of butterflies in her stomach.

"Uh, sure I am. If you are that is."

"OK. Oh, wait here. I forgot something," Jessie quickly babbled before running back to her car.

"Alright," Katie said with curiosity plastered all over her face.

"This is for you," Jessie replied as she reappeared with a long stemmed, red rose in her hand.

"Thank you. It's beautiful, but...," Katie began, but was interrupted by an excited Jessie.

"Not as beautiful as you, sweetie." _Sweetie? What the heck? Just relax, Jessie. You're supposed to be the one in control of everything tonight_.

"Did you just call me sweetie?" Katie giggled. _Oh My God. I was wrong. Jessie might actually love me. Maybe she's just afraid to admit it._

"Uh, yeah. Sorry."

Jessie looked down at her feet

"Hey," Katie said as she lifted Jessie's chin up with her right hand, "it's ok. You're not too bad yourself, hotstuff. What do you want to do until we go to the party?"

"Since you were hoping for the traditional date, I thought we could go out to eat before the party."

"Sounds good to me. Is Ruby Tuesday's good enough?"

"If that's where you want to go, it's fine by me."

Jessie escorted Katie to the passenger side of the car and opened the door for her.

"Good to know chivalry isn't dead yet," Katie commented as she slowly got into the car, which gave Jessie a chance to smell the perfume Katie was wearing. Jessie closed the door in a slight haze. Katie noticed and rolled down the window.

"Are you ok, Jessie?"

"Yeah, great perfume by the way."

"Thanks, I knew you would like it."

Ruby Tuesday's, around thirty minutes later

The girls were enjoying their meal when Jessie noticed the stare she was getting from Katie. She smiled when she saw the direction of the stare.

"Like what you see?" Jessie said with a smirk, which brought Katie out of the look of desire she had.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Sorry." _Damn. She caught me staring her chest. Why did she have to wear a blouse that revealed that much cleavage? _

"If that's not enough, we can go someplace where you can get a better view." Jessie then winked at her. "I'm finished anyway."

Katie mumbled with a gulp, "I'm finished as well."

Jessie quickly paid for the meal and then drove them to a spot where they could be alone.

"Jessie, I'm sorry about what happened back there."

"It's ok, Katie. I'm flattered, and it just gave me an idea of what else to do until we leave for the party."

"Oh yeah, what's that?" Katie spoke with a little hesitation.

"This."

Jessie unbuckled both seatbelts, began kissing Katie on the lips, and then moved to her neck.

"Jessie, are you sure you want to do this?" Katie moaned as she felt her shirt being unbuttoned.

"YES, don't you?"

"I do, but do you usually do this on the first date?"

Katie felt the last button be undone.

"Well, I am a known player, but I have never done this on the first date."

Jessie then removed her own blouse and began kissing further down Katie's body. Katie moaned as her fingers ran through Jessie's hair, but stopped as soon as she felt Jessie start to work on her jeans.

"Jessie, stop."

"I thought you wanted this?"

Jessie gave her a look of disappointment.

"I'm really sorry, but I'm not ready for that."

"OK."

"Please, don't be mad," Katie cried out.

"I'm not mad. I should be the one who's sorry. I came on too strong."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Jessie then took one of Katie's hands and rested it on her chest for a few seconds.

"What are you d-doing.?"

"Making up for what I just did, and besides, I wanted you to know how they feel."

Jessie then laughed as Katie removed her hand and began buttoning up her shirt.

Jessie put her blouse back on and asked, "Are you ready for the party now?"

"Definitely."

The girls then let out a smile as they buckled their seatbelts and headed to the party.

Tad's Party, two hours later

The girls were having fun dancing and drinking a little when Katie realized their plastic cups were almost empty.

"I'll get us both some more to drink."

Katie smirked at her obviously tipsy date.

"Hurry back," Jessie mumbled as she sat down on a nearby couch.

Nicole and Sarah had seen Katie coming and started talking as if they hadn't seen her.

"I knew she was a player, and that that we didn't get along at all, but I didn't think she'd do something like that to a nice girl like Katie. I just don't believe it. Do you have any proof?"

"Yes, we talked on the phone last night while Katie was over there. Apparently they were going to watch a few movies, and Katie was spending the night. We would have talked longer, but she heard Katie coming back into the room and had to hang up quickly."

"OK, but where's the proof?"

"On this tape. I debated about when I should give it to Katie."

"You taped her."

"Yeah, she didn't even have a clue at all."

Nicole then looked over Sarah's shoulder and acted like she just noticed Katie.

"Oh, hi, Katie. You didn't hear all of that, did you?" She watched Katie nod yes before continuing. "I'm sorry you had to hear that," Nicole said in a sad tone that she hoped Katie would believe.

From the look on Katie's face, she had bought it. Since Sarah still had her back to her, Katie didn't see the evil smile on her face.

"I want to hear that tape!" Katie spoke in a commanding tone.

"Here it is."

Nicole gave her a regretful look. As the tape played on, Katie's eyes began to bug out. This was followed quickly by a combination of anger and sadness.

Sarah turned around slowly with an equally convincing, regretful look before speaking, "I TOLD you that she would break your heart. Aren't you sorry you didn't listen to me before?"

The girls stood there and watched as Katie rushed back to Jessie. Katie then began an argument that caught the attention of everyone.

"What's wrong, Katie?"

Jessie was becoming confused by her sudden anger and hurt look.

"WHAT'S WRONG? How could you do this to me, Jessie? I thought we were friends and were becoming more when you asked me to be your date tonight."

"We ARE friends. I wouldn't have asked you out on a date if I didn't want more."

"Then why didn't you tell me about that slut, Lisa? I can't believe I bought those mind games. I fell for you. After the party tonight, I WAS going to tell you that I LOVED you. I was going to give you this ring." Katie flashed the ring to the crowd before putting it back in her pocket and continuing the fight. "And ask you to be my girlfriend. You can forget it now. I hope I can get my money back."

"Who's Lisa? I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't lie to me, Jessie. I don't think I can trust you ever again."

Katie quickly made her way to the front door when she heard Jessie cry out.

"KATIE, WAIT UP. PLEASE!"

"No. I think I'll walk home."

Katie looked back and saw Jessie start to cry. Everyone saw tears appear on Katie's cheeks before she ran out. The crowd remained silent as Jessie also fled the house in tears.

"I've got to go, Tad. I'll call you tomorrow," Grace said with her face, mind, and voice filled with worry.

"Ok."

The crowd was too stunned to notice Nicole and Sarah giving each other a high five before finishing their drinks and grabbing more.


	5. Game Over?

Playing The Game

Chapter 5. Game Over?

Author: j_rock873

Rating: PG-13

Summary: The plan is revealed, but what will happen next?

Disclaimer: I only own the character, Nicole.

Reviews: Yes, I would like them.

* * *

Jessie's car, along the sidewalk in front of Tad's house

Jessie had just opened the driver's side door when it was slammed shut from a person behind her. Jessie froze at the hope that it would be Katie. She was thinking that Katie might have changed her mind and was going to surprise her.

"K-KATIE? Was that you?" Jessie slowly turned around at hearing silence. "Will you please talk to…Oh, hi, Grace, what do you want?" Jessie asked before her crying went back to the loud volume it was before Grace got there.

"I'm driving you home."

"I'll be fine, Grace. You can go back to the party."

"No, you won't. You barely made it to the car without tripping. You're in no condition to drive; and contrary to popular belief, I like having you around."

Jessie walked over to the other side of the car. Before she got in she confessed, "I like having you around too. Let's just keep that between us for now."

"It's a deal," Grace returned with a happy sigh.

As the girls made their way home, Grace remained silent while Jessie continued to cry softly. When they reached the house, Jessie planned to hold back tears until she got upstairs. She would find out quickly that wasn't going to happen.

Sammler/Manning home, family room, 11:15 PM

Grace and Jessie entered to see a barely awake Rick and Lily shutting off the TV and heading upstairs.

"You girls are home a little early, aren't you?" their parents mumbled out between yawns.

"Yeah, the party wasn't that exciting. We decided to come home early."

"In my younger days, I never left a party early."

Rick chuckled at his own attempt at humor while Lily sensed something was wrong immediately. She then looked at both girls before directing her attention to Jessie.

"Jessie, what's wrong? Did you and Katie get in a fight? If you did, I'm sure everything will...," Lily was interrupted as Jessie brown down in tears again before she rushed upstairs. "Grace, what happened tonight?"

Rick just looked on in worry.

"I don't know all of the details, but before we left, Katie and Jessie had a argument that left both of them in tears. Then Katie stormed off to her house. I'll find out the rest and tell you tomorrow."

Jessie's bedroom

Grace entered the room in time to see Jessie tear a tank top and shorts, which were lying on the bed, to shreds. Jessie then began attacking the punching bag in the far corner.

"Jessie, you need to calm down and tell me what happened back at Tad's."

"Don't you knock?" Jessie asked politely before calmly continuing. "Anyway, you were there. You saw what happened."

"Yeah, I did, but why did it happen? I thought things were going great for you two?"

"I don't know," she babbled while still attacking the bag, "I thought it was too. It was our first date. We went out to eat, messed around in the car a little bit, and then we went to the party."

Jessie stopped talking and attacking the bag when she realized she let out more than she wanted to say. She quickly sat down on her bed and looked up to see a stunned Grace standing in front of her.

"You messed around in the car a little? How much is a little?" she asked cautiously.

"Not much," Jessie sighed when she was met with a disbelieving look, "Fine, but you've got to promise to not tell anyone."

"I promise."

"We kissed in the front seat." Jessie began to stall before Grace nodded to continue. "I sort of unbuttoned Katie's shirt before I removed mine."

"WOW!" Grace commented before falling down on the bed. "Wait, sort of? Either you did or you didn't. Which one is it?"

"I did."

"How did she react to that?"

"She didn't mind anything until…" _Damn mouth. Don't you know when to be quiet?_

"Until what?"

Jessie sighed. "Until I tried unbuttoning her jeans. I stopped, apologized, and then I…" _Damn mouth. I told you to shut up!_

By this time, Grace's eyes were bugging out and her mouth was wide open.

"Then you what?" Grace questioned while knowing that she wouldn't be able to speak much longer.

Jessie didn't want to say it out loud, so she decided to whisper instead. After doing that, she lay down face first on a pillow. Grace was rendered speechless. Jessie removed her head from the pillow.

"I've had arguments before with ex's. Both boys and girls. This time it's different."

"What makes this time different?"

"It's different this time because…"

"Because?"

"Because I LOVE her. I love KATIE SINGER, and she HATES me. Everything was going fine at the party. We were having fun until she went to get us more drinks. She came back so upset. Everyone heard the fight. What am I going to do, Grace?"

"Well, you're going to get some sleep. We'll figure it out tomorrow."

Grace rose off of the bed, but was pulled back by Jessie.

"Don't leave me now. Stay, please? Tell me what happened between you and Tad," Jessie finished with a smile.

"Since he has to go out of town tomorrow, he asked me if I would like to go out on a date next Friday," Grace blushed, "Now go to sleep."

The girls fell asleep on Jessie's bed with her resting her head on Grace's shoulder.

Monday, lunchtime

Jessie had tried repeatedly to get Katie's attention, but was completely ignored. She watched speechlessly as Nicole and Sarah sat beside Katie at a table on the opposite side of the cafeteria.

End of the school day

Grace was reaching for the backpack hanging off the back of her seat when she heard something hit the floor behind her. She turned around and saw a strange looking, electronic device on the floor.

"Hey, Nicole, you dropped something," Grace shouted, but Nicole was gone.

She picked up the device and hit the play button. For the second time in three days, she was rendered speechless. In the process of rewinding it, she unknowingly hit another button. What she heard the second time was the same thing as before, but one of the voices was different. She walked out of the room into a completely empty hall. Then sprinted outside and noticed Jessie crying on a bench while Tad tried to console her.

"It will be alright, Jessie."

"No, it won't. Uh, hi, Grace."

"Jessie, I have something that you need to hear."

"Really? What is it?"

Meanwhile, 10 feet away

"OH NO!"

"What's the matter, Nicole?" Sarah asked before kissing her softly on the lips, which got the attention of half of the students outside.

"I lost the tape player."

"Tape player?"

"Yes, the TAPE player," Nicole repeated as she frantically looked in her coat pockets and purse.

"YOU BROUGHT IT TO SCHOOL? HOW COULD YOU BE SO STUPID?"

"DON'T CALL ME STUPID!" Nicole snarled. "YOU WANTED TO LISTEN TO IT TOO, REMEMBER?"

"I DID, BUT NOT HERE!"

The extremely loud fight had got the attention of the remaining students.

"Nicole, Sarah, what's all the commotion?" Katie asked calmly as she made her way to them.

"Looking for this?" Jessie interrupted. "I found it quite interesting."

Nicole and Sarah almost instantly turned pale.

"Jessie, you're smiling like the Grinch right before he stole Christmas. What did you find so interesting?" Katie replied with curiosity and confusion.

"This," Jessie answered with a smirk while turning the volume up all the way.

Everyone else gasped when they heard the tape. Then half of them smiled or laughed while the others frowned.

"I already heard that. Saturday night to be exact," Katie stated with disgust.

"Wait, it gets better, everyone," Grace shouted with an abundance of enthusiasm and anticipation.

"Thanks, Grace." Jessie shared her smile with Grace while rewinding the tape. "Yes, but you definitely didn't hear this."

Everyone gasped again when they heard the same conversation, but this time it was Sarah's voice instead of Jessie's.

"Care to explain? If you don't, I will make your remaining time at Upton Sinclair a living hell." Jessie sneered before slowly turning to Katie with a "I told you so." look.

Nicole remained silent as Sarah explained, "It was all Nicole's idea. She wanted revenge because she STILL loves you."

Nicole ripped her hand away from Sarah's grip.

"You, BITCH! You promised to never tell anyone that."

"Well, what did you expect? We share our first times together, and you call out her name."

Sarah pointed to Jessie and found looks of disgust on everybody's faces when she turned around. Jessie laughed at Nicole, threw the tape player on the ground, glanced at Katie, and then began walking to her car. Katie stopped her when she rested her hand on Jessie's shoulder.

"Jessie, I'm SO sorry. Please forgive me. I STILL LOVE YOU!"

Jessie began to slowly smile again before mumbling, "I love you too."

"What?"

"I LOVE YOU TOO, KATIE SINGER, I…"

Katie interrupted Jessie by kissing her passionately, hugging her, and then crying on her shoulder. Jessie then pulled her away and softly kissed her. The girls then rested their foreheads on each other while smiling and tried to get their breathing and heartbeats back to normal. Like the ending of most teen movies today, they were surrounded by applause and cheers.

The End


End file.
